Side Lake Fishing Guide, Sudbury, Ontario

• Overview

  Set in Sudbury, Side Lake is an Ontario water. The surface lies 458 metres up. Roughly 30 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. With 5.0 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. It sits higher than most water we list in Ontario. 46 km away sits Chapleau, the nearest town. Beyond it, Wawa at 58 km and Sault Ste. Marie at 151 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Side Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Reported across Sudbury: smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, Iowa darter and walleye. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Side Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 16°C; by January the average is down near -16°C. Cold dominates the year and the fishing works around it. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly early May. Ice clears near early May and comes back about mid November in a typical year. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. The season on Side Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. String Lake at 1.3 km is the sensible second choice. What applies at Side Lake may have changed since it was mapped.